A wireless communications device such as a cellular telephone typically includes front and rear cover sections forming a housing about a circuit board. The circuit board includes the control circuitry for the cellular telephone and typically includes a ground plane. An antenna may be coupled through the circuit board for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals. Metallization may be provided on the front cover section and/or on the rear cover section and electrically connected to the ground plane to improve antenna efficiency. When the handset is transmitting, RF currents from the antenna feed point may flow on the metallization layer and couple with other parts of the hand set and/or the user. The user's body may have several adverse effects on the RF performance of the wireless device, including lower antenna efficiency, antenna impedance mismatch, coupling of RF energy to other parts of the circuitry (e.g., noise affecting the audio path or “motor boating”), and bandwidth reduction. The electrical coupling of the metallization may be jeopardized by large mechanical or production variations, subsequently applied designer patterns, paints and lacquers.